MAYARYA is Hongkong’s one stop destination when it comes to chic maternity wear, located in the trendy District of Sheung Wan and Stanley Plaza. Mayarya offers luxurious, high quality clothing for those who want to stay fashionable during pregnancy and are unwilling to compromise on their style.
What inspired you to open Mayarya?
A lot of my pregnant friends and I were quite disappointed that today’s stylish maternity wear is very limited and none of us found the pieces attractive enough to buy just for the nine months. I came up with the concept to offer a stylish maternity-friendly but not maternity only collection so everyone can enjoy them and the clothes are not just for the nine months.
Mayarya is unique in Hong Kong in it being a store at street level – what advantages does this have?
We have a lot of non-pregnant customers who walk in and don't realize that there are pregnant mannequins in the window and store! Many of our non-pregnant customers happily try on and purchase our maternity friendly collection. We consider ourselves great value for money for non-pregnant customers who plan to get pregnant in the future and want something that's of great quality and yet chic.
You’ve opened up your second store very quickly after your first in Stanley Plaza – is further expansion online and offline planned for Mayarya?
Yes, we would love to expand further. The online site is picking up great trends in demand across Asia. Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok and Manila seem to be obvious next stops as a lot of customers from those cities shop online with us.
What were you doing career wise before you opened the store?
I worked in the retail management team for high-end trendsetting multi-brand stores like Intermix and Kirna Zabete in New York. I was also responsible for franchising Hollywood’s favorite multi-brand store, Satine to Tokyo. I spotted and started carrying Jason Wu before Michelle Obama wore his gown on the Presidential Inaugural Ball which was really a rewarding and exciting moment in my career. As a buyer, I collaborated with New York’s top designers Alexander Wang and Rebecca Minkoff to create exclusive collections.
What is your vision for the store?
My vision for the store is to become the one stop destination for pregnant women in Asia for a hassle-free shopping experience.
What are the key themes/trends that you have been focusing on in your buys for AW 2013-14?
I focused on clean ladylike aesthetics with a bit of leather or a touch of gold. I also focused on rich tones like burgundy and purple but also for edgier and sleek styling, I chose monochrome colours as well.
What new brands have you brought to HK for AW13-14?
Slacks & Co.!! Everyone is in love with Slacks & Co already! We also brought Attesa from Italy, Mountain Mama from U.S. for active wear and Pomkin from France.
Any things to look forward to for SS14 that you can share with us?
For SS14 we are collaborating with some top fashion icons and celebrities in Hong Kong who are pregnant. We cannot reveal the names yet. But stay tuned. We are also planning a great Marketing campaign with more VIP events where the mums to be in a community come together for a special pampering session at our store where we advise them on all their pregnancy needs fashion and non-fashion.
Please visit MAYARYA
Sheung Wan Store
G/F, 26 Jervois Street,
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Stanley Plaza Store
Shop 104, 1/F, Stanley Plaza,
Stanley, Hong Kong